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Legislature

Hickenlooper signs health care bills at Lutheran

Sponsors and hospital staff join in celebration

Gov. John Hickenlooper jokes with local legislators before signing three bills into law at Lutheran Medical Center on May 21.

Clarke Reader

Gov. John Hickenlooper poses with Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-Lakewood) and her mother, Stacy. Stacy inspired her daughter to tackle the opioid crises in the state through her own addiction issues. Hickenlooper was at Lutheran Medical Center on May 21 to sign two of Pettersen's bills into law.

Clarke Reader

Gov. John Hickenlooper signs one of three bills at Lutheran Medical Center on May 21, flanked by the legislators who sponsored the bills. The new laws tackle the important issues of opioid addiction and mental illness treatment.

Gov. John Hickenlooper stopped by Wheat Ridge's Lutheran Medical Center on May 21 to sign into law three bills that aim to fight the opioid crises facing the state and those in need of mental health services.

“The opioid crises isn't an urban or suburban issue — it's grown into an epidemic all over the state,” Hickenlooper told the crowd of supporters, hospital staff and bill sponsors in attendance. “This has been an amazing legislative session, and this package off bills is as important as anything that was accomplished.”

The bill establishes a community transition specialist program in the office of behavioral health in the department of human services. The program coordinates referrals of high-risk individuals to transition specialists by behavioral health programs and organizations.

“This bill will impact my life and the life of many others,” said Evan Silverman, who has struggled with mental health issues for years. “This will put many, many people on a path to a better life trajectory.”

The bill restricts the number of opioid pills that a health care practitioner, including physicians, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists, and veterinarians, may prescribe for an initial prescription to a seven-day supply and allows each health care practitioner to exercise discretion to include a second fill for a seven-day supply.

“My mother's story of opioid addiction recovery began in this hospital, where I saw how broken the system to help those suffering from addiction is,” Pettersen said. Her mother has been dealing with addiction issues for years. “I know this is some of the most important work I'll do in my life.”

In 2017, the state legislature created the Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Interim Study Committee. The committee met throughout the summer and fall of 2017 and recommended a package of substance use disorder-related bills that were introduced during the 2018 legislative session. This bill would extend the committee's charge through 2020.

“Anyone who has had firsthand experience with opioid addiction knows that it can happen out of nowhere. It is impossible to predict,” Hickenlooper said. “I'm not saying we're done, but this is a great first step.”